Category Archives: uncategorised

A contradiction….

Posted on by

I’m struggling to blog about Lagos. Every time I go to write a blog I am faced with a plethora of contradictions. The major issue in Nigeria is that it is developing but it’s not developed. This throws up a whole heap of issues. There are expensive hotels surrounded by roads in serious disrepair, which most cars are unable to drive on. Broadband and air-conditioning are commonplace in Lagos but only when the public electricity works (which is infrequent). There are expensive cars and motorcycles congesting the roads but there are no traffic systems to guide them and those that are in place are ignored by all but a few. There are lots of police on the streets but they are mostly corrupt and we have had to bribe them to let us continue on a road.

Hopefully, some of you can see the complications that I am faced with when trying to write an accurate description about Lagos. I can’t say I like this area of Nigeria but nor can I say that I hate it. Some people I have met here have not been very nice yet most of the people I have met personally have been lovely so it’s no different to England.

Most of all what I feel in Nigeria is frustration, it’s developing but no one knows into what and unfortunately money is the driving factor. Here it is capitalism in its raw form without any regulation; touts and gangs capitalise on areas of road or land and the police take payments from the gangs. Most people that I have spoken with have pride in their country and their own development and education but they are also fearful of the police and angry about the levels of corruption. Many people here have also asked me what I think Nigeria will be like in 5 years time and I can honestly say I haven’t a clue.

 

 

When the going gets tough the tough get going

Posted on by

Backdated post from October 1st


Yemi and Rex

Today is the last day of October and the start of a new week with Hope for HIV/AIDS International (HFA). In the last 5 days I’ve learnt about the background of HFA and the mission they have to combat HIV/AIDS and the stigmas attached to those living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.

HFA has a small office on Palm Avenue in Mushin, Lagos. There are five members of staff and all of them are friendly and have done their best to welcome me and make sure that my stay is enjoyable. Lagos presents a brilliant opportunity for volunteers, as there is a lot to do. However, if you are looking for a social volunteering experience with other volunteers this isn’t it. Lagos is a tough city but if you’re looking for something to challenge you and push your comfort boundaries then this placement will suit you. Tomorrow I go to Rhoda Youth Centre, which is outside the city. I have a hunch that this will be a quieter area and I’m told that this is a bustling youth centre. I’m looking forward to spending the week there!

The generosity of the people in Lagos is amazing and you can’t fault it. You need to be direct here but don’t worry if you’re not a direct person you’ll have to learn to be to survive. It will also help if you can cook basic things, there aren’t any social meals, although I’ve advised HFA to encourage this, so for now you’ll need to source and cook your own food. The street food seems to be safe enough though and you can get any meal for 3/4 people for 200N – about £2. However, on a night it doesn’t seem that safe to go out. There is still a fear of kidnapping here.

The other day I visited the one of the communities that HFA has a base in. It is a community built on marshland and is not dissimilar to the communities which may be shown on Oxfam adverts. This particular community had been flooded by river water during the week making navigation difficult.

The HFA is a Christian organisation and most of the work that they do is with Pastors and members of the Christian community. They have just got some funding through to deliver more training on HIV/AIDS but this training will be delivered to Muslim community leaders as well. The HFA usually have International Christian volunteers for their placements as well. However, I’m not a Christian, or religious and we are coping with our differences. I do think it may be easier to do this placement if you are a Christian but then for me it is an opportunity to learn about different models of community engagement and a different culture. Do be warned though if you are not a christian you will be asked a lot of questions and and you will be preached to.

First Impressions

Posted on by

Sat in the Office of Hope for HIV/Aids Nigeria (Hope4Aids), I can see and hear the bustle of the streets below. Nigeria is very different to Gunjur in The Gambia but then this isn’t a small town. The cars drive faster and there is a constant background rhythm of car horns. You can also hear the steady hum of generators which power the buildings through intermittent public energy loses. Today feels like it should be a hot day but there’s no direct sunlight due to a haze over the city.

I landed last night at Lagos Airport, I was delayed for almost two hours but Rex from Hope4Aids was still waiting for me when I landed. I got a very warm greeting and was driven the short way to his home where I am staying with his family. Being a passenger in Nigeria isn’t for the faint hearted and I can already guarantee that every trip will be an adventure.  At one point during our drive to the house last night there was a heavy presence of police by the road side, they were trying to pull people over to get bribes. Rex handled this perfectly and just kept on driving advising the other drivers to do the same.

The accommodation is basic and welcoming, if you volunteer here you will stay with families (unless you chose otherwise). The house I’m staying in has electricity, via the generator, internet and a gas cooker. There’s no running water but there’s plenty of water to use for bucket showers, cooking and washing.

Today will be the start of my well planned itinerary and I definitely feel like the next three weeks will be eventful and fast paced. On first impressions this strikes me as a project for volunteers who like to get stuck in.

Nigeria

Posted on by

I have safely landed in Nigeria to start the Global Youth Video Project with Hope for HIV/Aids Nigeria. I would like to thank the Gunjur Project in The Gambia for their hospitality and for a fabulous start to the project. However, today marks the start of a new journey with new questions and I’m very excited to see the results.

If you have any new questions that you would like me to ask Nigerian young people just leave a reply on the Ask a Question…

Only one day left in The Gambia

Posted on by

Time is flying fast in The Gambia. It seems only yesterday that the first recordings for the Global Youth Video Project started and now three weeks later the project’s time in The Gambia is quickly coming to a close.

The weather here has changed slightly since first arriving. We now tend to have one cooler day followed by one burning hot day. There have been a few storms and heavy showers, but I have been assured that by the end of the month they will have stopped and not another drop will be seen until July. Unfortunately, that means that the luscious greens that are everywhere around will also disappear.

This last week has seen the completion of some of the videos made by young people in and around the area of Gunjur. They are all extremely interesting and my thanks go out to all the young people who have taken part and to Sifoe Senior Secondary School and the Gunjur Project for helping me to meet and work with these young people.

Today is my last day in The Gambia and it has been a wonderful experience that I will never forget. If you are wondering about going on holiday to Africa away from the main tourist areas you would be lucky to stay in a place like this. The Gambia has so many things to offer. I have talked to some other people staying here and we all agreed that before we left our home countries we were worried about coming to The Gambia because of safety or because of being hassled. The reality is completely different. I feel safer here than in the UK. Yes, you do get some attention if you are a white female and go out on your own but nothing that you don’t get in England and on the main people will just say hello and ask you how you are. Everyone is friendly and will do their best to help and the children are amazing. I have learned so much from my stay here and the only reason I am leaving is because of the new adventures ahead of me. Although I must say that my trip to Senegal on a dug out canoe will take some beating.

 

What does The Gambia smell like?

Posted on by

11th October 2011

One thing that I realised I haven’t mentioned about my first experience of The Gambia was the smell. Everywhere around the Gunjur there is a special type of plant, they look like nettles and smell like a cross between mint and eucalyptus. It smells absolutely wonderful and as you get further down towards the smoke houses on the seafront you also get a fabulous rich smoky scent drifting across the roads. This smoky scent isn’t a false promise either the fish from the smoke houses is amazing. It’ll take you a while to get all the tiny bones out but it’s well worth persevering! Back to the smells of The Gambia; I didn’t have preconceived ideas about what this part of Africa would smell like but I never expected it to smell so lovely. I suppose I’m used to the stale, exhaust fume aromas of Manchester and hadn’t considered that I would actually enjoy the smells around me.

Global Youth Video Project starts in Africa

Posted on by

27th September 2011

The first students entered the room we were waiting in, to take part in the Global Youth Video Project. Alagi and I were met by smiles and handshakes, Alagi notably popular amongst the young students at Sifoe Senior Secondary School. As the room filled up with students we discussed the start of the Global Youth Video Project, the young people choosing two focus groups to make different videos about their culture and their lives. The young people were all polite and welcoming, no mean feat in temperatures soaring above 40°c. It was so hot that even the vultures, that circle the skies here, seemed to be sweating.

After introducing the Global Youth Video Project, and setting the next meeting time, we drove back to the Gunjur to buy a local Gamcell SIM card for 50 Dalasi  (D) including 50D of credit – texts to the UK costing 3D. From there we headed back to the fishing village to visit the Kajabang Community Nursery, in the now blistering, midday heat. When getting out of the car I was met by many tiny hands all wanting to play energetically. I gladly obliged,quickly realising just how hard it is to play in 40°c.

Leaving the Nursery we headed towards the beach, buying small bags of water to quench our thirst. I became glad that my induction was steadily paced, allowing for a period of acclimatisation.

[When volunteering in substantially hotter climates I would advise you to take your first few days steady whilst you acclimatise.]

Returning to the project, tiredness due to the heat became my main opposition and I struggled to stay awake through my lunch. I finally gave in and slept through most of the afternoon. When I woke I took an early evening walk with Omar into the fishing village and along the sands where we were joined by hundreds of crabs scuttling sideways to avoid our footsteps. The cloudy sunset then sealed the end of my second day and the first Global Youth Video Project session.

First Day in The Gambia

Posted on by

26th September 2011

After an early start I landed in at Banjul airport just outside of Banjul at 3:15pm local time. I exited the plane to be greeted by a wave of heat,the temperature upon landing being 32°c, although I am sure that this was a conservative measurement. As I flew in over The Gambia I had seen, from above, the sun bleached green of the dense foliage and the corrugated roofs glistening like diamonds across the landscape.

At the airport I handed across my free visa application, a mere piece of paper you fill in on the plane then collected my luggage without a problem. I declined the numerous offers to help me with my luggage for a small fee.

I found, to my surprise, that as well as the luggage being scanned on the way out of the airport you also have to hand back the luggage sticker given to you at your luggage check-in point. After a few moments of searching I found this and they let me through the gates where Alagi, from the Gunjur Project, was waiting to take me to the project.

On the journey to the project, lasting 45minutes, I saw my first exciting glimpse of Gambian life. When we turned off the main road onto dirt tracks, through villages and past compounds, the kids shouted “two bob, two bob” the local name for white people, a throw back to when the Europeans were here and the currency at that time.

As I arrived at the project friendly staff greeted me and Jo showed me to my wonderful accommodation, basic but perfect. No sooner had I arrived, and changed in to clothes more suitable for the climate, I was invited to watch a meeting of the Village Development Committee (VDC). The meeting was held at the small Kajabang Community Nursery that was the focus of the discussion. The meeting started on GMT time, which I am informed, is Gambian Maybe Time. Sure enough, 40 minutes later than planned, the meeting started. In a mixture of languages, discussions were held about the development and management of the nursery. Visible during the meeting were the same factional divides, differences of opinion and disagreements present in any community meeting that I have ever witnessed in the UK.

After the meeting we drifted down into the fishing village to see the rows of smoke houses, smoking the days catch. Continuing further into the village the smoke gave way to a brilliant pink sunset, which we watched while shelling and eating fresh succulent peanuts.